Another Great Summer Reading Program Idea That You Need to Save and Use Anytime of Year via LitHub

This year I have been posting about non library summer reading programs for adults for a variety of reasons. 

First, I know your summer reading programs are already in full swing, but while something is happening it is actually the best time to gather information and learn from others doing the same thing.

Second, many of you still do not have adult reading programs even though you should. I wrote about this at length a few weeks ago here. Please go back and read that. The important parts are bolded. The fact that non-library places are doing them, spending money to create them, giving prizes....all of this should make you both realize it is something you should be doing and also, it should make you mad that they are filling a hole you could have filled much more easily. We are losing readers to places like the NYT and LitHub

Third, these non-library summer reading programs are the right kind of gate opening programs. Why does that matter? Well our summer reading programs, in fact most of what we do for adults, has way too many rules and barriers. Why does a grown ass person have to follow themes and/or number of minutes reading in order to participate in the joy of summer reading? Why do we gate keep reading for adults? Their lives are busy enough and just the fact that they want to use a summer reading program as a reason to read more should be enough. 

I need to say this to all of you-- just because your library uses a theme for summer reading and just because the kid's program has a bunch of rules does not mean you have to do the exact same thing. Too many rules and too many restrictions will drive your patrons away. And, mostly importantly, YOU WILL NOT GO TO LIBRARY JAIL IF YOU ALLOW ADULTS TO READS WHAT THEY WANT. 

In fact, just the opposite, if you increase circulation, participation, and door count of adults during the summer, you will be celebrated and praised for it. 

Now, if your library requires you use the theme, that's fine. Mine did back in the day. So you know what I did? I used the branded material and then told my adults, here is the theme; here is a list of titles you can read it you want to fit the theme; but also, just log the books your read whatever they were. They all count. 

The adult summer reading programs I am reposting here, from these non library spaces, understand all of this better than most of you. Again, I wrote about the NYT summer reading program here. Today I want to point you to an even better program, one that you can insert into your current summer reading programs seamlessly, right now. It is from LitHub. Here is their summer reading program with challenges we can use anytime.

Talk about gate opening. These are lists of 10 books that come out every 2 weeks, and they suggest you pick just one to read in that time frame. The themes they have created are very flexible and fun:

• Great Classic Novels Under 200 Pages
• The Best Contemporary Novels Under 200 pages
• The 60 Best Campus Novels from the Last 100 Years
• The Greatest Coming of Age Novels
• The Greatest Summer Novels of All Time
• The 50 Best Contemporary Novels Over 500 pages

They even created this FREE graphic for people to fill out as they completed the challenges.

This is such a great idea for libraries to use all year long. It reminds me of my conversation starter to display concept; in fact I am adding this post to the handout for that. You could use this idea to create monthly mini displays ALL YEAR LONG. 

How would you doing this? Easy. Use the categories from this LitHub Summer Reading Program and/or the ones from the NYT Summer Reading Challenge and/or any conversation starter to display questions I have posted before.

Pick 12 themes. One for each month of the year. Make a sign with the title of the conversation starter. For example, "Best Books Under 200 Pages." And then do a small display of titles near it. Have your staff help seed the display at first, but then go here to learn how I suggest you poll all patrons to help build the list to keep it going. The questions here is "What are your favorite books under 200 pages?" These displays and the chance to allow patrons to add to the lists of titles needs to be in the building and online.

The great thing about these mini-displays with conversation starter questions is that they are evergreen. You can use them all year long or tie them to the season or indentity month. The titles you gather this year, can be entered into a document, and used the next time you do that display to get it all started. 

Start at any time. Ask staff from across the entire library, or if your library is small, from across your system to help build the lists. 

Now, I know many of you will still be making excuses are to why you cannot do this.

No space? Well it can be as small as a sign on your desk with a vertical stack of 3-5 books. As they go, you add more books.

No time? I have given you a link to enough questions to use all year long.

Don't want to do the polling patrons part for (insert reason here), just do the mini displays themselves each month. Having a rotating small themed display is a great reason for people to come back and try another book. You are giving them the prompt and they can choose a book you have picked or think up their won answer to the question to find something to read they would not have thought about without your help.

To help keep this idea going, I am going to commit to being a resource to help all of you. Every month, on the 1st of the month, (or the week day closest to it),I will post a theme you can use as well as a list of ten titles to make your display. I will also post resources for more crowdsourced titles. This way you have no excuse NOT to do at least the mini display. I will remind you to change it and give you plenty of titles to get it started.

As you get more comfortable doing these mini displays on a monthly basis, I will challenge you to grow the program, get your staff and patrons involved, and more. Let's get better at serving our adult readers together. I know it is hard to get a new habit started. We are all very busy, but I am committed to being there to help you give it a try.

Booklist's June Issue is the Spotlight on Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror (And Becky wins the Stoker)

I returned from StokerCon late last night. And well, I won a Stoker Award for Long Nonfiction and Tananarive Due won for her essay in the book. You can see al the nominees and winners here. You can watch me accept for Tananarive and myself on the video of the live stream here. Short Nonfiction was the first award of the night, after the keynote and Long Nonfiction was only a few awards later. 

Also, here is the link to my acceptance speech.

Now I have to go hide and send a million emails (only a slight exaggeration)

While I get back to it, I wanted to make sure you all know that Booklist Spotlight's SF/F/H every June and there is a lot of great information available for free-- more than just the Top 10 lists. The issue table of contents is here. I have posted the adult links below and added backlist access.

Spotlight on SF/Fantasy & Horror

• Essentials: Body Horror
• Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror 2026: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022
• Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror Debuts 2026: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022
• Writers & Readers: Reviewing Books Made Me a Better Novelist
• Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror on Audio 2026: 2025, 2024, 2023,

Features

• Essentials: AI and Its Potential for Good and Bad
• The Booklist Carnegie Interview Yiyun Li
• The Booklist Carnegie Interview Megha Majumdar
• Talking with Tillie Walden
• Trade Secrets: Updates on the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Disabled
• High-Demand Hot List

It's StokerCon Time and I Have Librarians' Day Resources and Links to Watch the Bram Stoker Awards

 

By the time this posts, I will have been in Pittsburgh for two days for Stoker Con, but today is Librarians' Day which I coordinate with my HWA Libraries Co-Chair, Konrad Stump. Click here for the full schedule. We have a lot of great panels. 

This is a live in-person event on Friday June 5, 2026 from 8am-4 pm within the full StokerCon. Anyone with a StokerCon ticket is welcome to come and enjoy our programming but Library Workers are invited to come to just the LD programming and check out our Dealer's Room, the Mass Author Signing, and the Final Frame Film Competition for only $70. 

Konrad and I have made a conscious effort to make this day useful to ALL attendees of StokerCon, but we also use it as a way to introduce library workers to what we offer. Many of our Librarians' Day only attendees have come to enjoy it so much that they attend the full conference each year. 

We expect over 125-50 people in the room at its highest point -- during the popular Buzzing panel which concludes with an ARC giveaway. Konrad has secured over 1,300 ARCs for this. Thank you to all the publishers.

Again, please click through to see the full list of panels, because even if you are an author, we have some of the best panels of the day. 

This year I also have a link to the folder with all of our slides and resources. And, the QR code will be on every slide throughout the day as well. There is a lot of great information here, even for those of you who are NOT joining us. 

Click here to access that folder. Also, save the link because there is a folder there where we will be uploading photos as well.

I do want to draw the attention to everyone reading this to our Get Involved with HWA Libraries Google Form. We are gathering names and emails because this fall we will be starting an official newsletter. We also are reworking the entire HWA website and the Library Committee portion of that will be part of that as well. 

After I collapse tonight night (after the Final Frame Film Competition), I have a couple of panels on Saturday, and then the next time people evil see me in person and on the YouTube Live stream is at the Bram Stoker Awards Ceremony. 

This is free for anyone, anywhere to watch. Not only is WHY I LOVE HORROR a nominee for Long Nonfiction, three of the essays from the book-- by Cynthia Pelayo, Tananarive Due, and Stephen Graham Jones-- are up for Short Nonfiction. If Tananarive or SGJ win, I will be accepting for them. And, many of the authors in my book are nominated across the ballot, some alongside each other int he same categories. 

I am also honored and excited to give the speech introducing our Karen Lansdale Silver Hammer Volunteer of the Year, author and librarian, Sarah Read. 

As directed by the BSA awards show manager (Brian Matthews), I also have an acceptance speech ready if I win, but honestly, to be nominated by my fellow writers is truly a huge honor, something I could not have imagined. It will be a great time. And I bought a new dress!

The entire event is worth watching. It is Horror prom. It is a feel good event celebrating the entire genre. And, at the end of the ceremony, we will be announcing some of the 2027 Guests of Honor. And the names are GOOD! The live stream link is available now for you to set a reminder. Hope some of you see me there.

What I'm Reading Booklist June 2026 Issue

I have 2 reviews in the June 2026 issue of Booklist. As usual, these posts contain my draft review with bonus appeal into and more readalikes.

Reliquary

By Hannah F. Whitten

Aug. 2026. 432p. Run For It, $30  (9780316579537). 
First published June 1, 2026 (Booklist).

Best-selling fantasy writer, Whitten, dives head first into Horror with a compelling, unsettling, and entertaining sea monster tale. When she was a teen, an accident at sea killed Claire’s parents and younger sister, but she has found comfort with her fiance Elias, that is, until he drops dead at work. When his mother contacts Claire and invites her to their ancestral home, a castle built into the cliff of an island in Maine, for a funeral, she accepts. As Claire enters the home and descends into its living spaces, deep underground, it begins to feel like there is something much more nefarious planned. Claire’s repressed emotions and memories add a level of disorientation to the story, but as more secrets are revealed, the pressure builds, the force breaks everything open, and the terrifying truth floods all that stands in its way. A novel not just for fans of sea soaked dark fantasy and horror, but also for readers of Gothics with immersive settings and intense dread like Mexican Gothic by Moreno-Garcia and tales of the monsters behind the business success of the uber rich like Fiend by Katsu.

Three Words The Describe This Book: Sea Soaked Horror, Gothic, Intense Unease

Further Appeal: horror about the uber wealthy, rich families with a monster secret to their success, an unreliable narrator who knows they are unreliable because of past trauma, Lovecraftian, disorientation-- the entire house is built down into the water. That was cool and makes everything about this Gothic mansion on the seaside feel even more unsettling. Readers and Claire are disoriented from the start.

Solid pacing– details revealed slowly but steadily and in a realistic way.

Title is good (a container for holy relics- to secure them from public viewing) because it hits on a few levels within the story Whitten is telling.

Whitten is a Best Selling author for her fantasy books. This is a Horror title that will definitely appeal to dark fantasy readers, but it is Horror so that needs to be made clear to readers.

While I was reading this I was also am writing my LJ Horror Genre Preview, and "seas soaked horror" is one of my trends. As I went through the books coming out over the next few months, there are a lot. I am excited because the books are literally dripping with dread and fear and it is great for readers. 

Claire is a damaged and unreliable narrator from the start. We know she lived through an accident as a teen-- on a boat-- that killed her whole family. We know that she lives her life purposely pushing her feelings down and not revealing the truth even to herself let alone her therapist. This she tells us. That means as readers we are already uncomfortable and know we cannot trust her but Claire is also very sympathetic because our distrust is not based on her nefarious behavior. We trust she will share her truth as the story goes on.

We only have Claire's perspective on all of this. We know as much as her, but we don't know what she is hiding from herself.

And the sharing is well done here. The details we are given, all begin to matter and as Claire admits to herself her connection to the sea the other parts of the story start to fall into place.

Her fiancé dies and she is called to meet his parents-- uber wealthy for generations. They have a submarine company. It is well known. She has not met them, but they want her to come to have a funeral for Elias. He dies mysteriously, just dropped dead, and his brain was full of holes the doctors said. Also his strange large sea creature in their giant aquarium died as well.

When she gets there things are strange. She is led into a castle built on an island (where the road to get their retracts when not needed). It is perched on the end of the sea but the house is built down....so all of the living spaces are under the waterline. 

The staff are odd, they have strange scars and injuries, and they are rarely seen.

Everyone is being very nice, but also strange. Elias' brother-- who shirked his responsibilities to the family and made Elias take his place, and the spaces of the other siblings all are trying to get her to leave of her own volition. But she is happy to be accepted, even if they are weird, and wants to belong. 

The scene is set perfectly to go from uneasy and disorienting to all out terror and a desperate attempt for her to save herself. And this is all at the start.

The monster, its hold on the family, and the resolution are all satisfying. The terror is mixed with some sweetness and Claire's background and issues from thought out her life all play a part in the conclusion which I appreciated.

Whitten's story is solid and it will bring a lot of her fans to Horror. That makes me excited.

Readalikes: I picked two for the review above, but there are definitely more. For readers who love sea monster stories in the vein of the EXCELLENT upcoming A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-young.

But also the confusion and disorientation of a family that clearly has a monstrous secret and they want the MC to pay a physical price for them like in Midnight Rooms by Coles or even Now You're One of Us by Nonami. And finally, I could not stop thinking about Alma Katsu's Fiend (mentioned above) and the demon behind the immense wealth and success of the family featured there.

Lovecraft’s Brood: Nineteen Tales of Cosmic Horror

Ed. Ellen Datlow

July 2026. 302p. illus. Tachyon, paper, $18.95  (9781616964627). 
REVIEW. First published June 1, 2026 (Booklist).

Completing the duology she began with Lovecraft’s Monsters, award-winning editor Datlow is back with 19 previously published stories, all from this century*. An impressive list of authors focus their talents on cosmic fear as Lovecraft defined it– an immersive, existential dread, steeped in the realization that the universe is indifferent to our suffering. The range of stories includes those firmly grounded in reality such as Paul Tremblay’s “The Note,” where a neighborhood walk leads to a wife’s disappearance; to a tale caught in the space between realities– the roadside motel– as in Wendy Wagner’s “Halogen Sky;” to a tear in the fabric of reality, caused by a kitten, in T Kingfisher’s “Agent of Chaos.” Each story begins with an illustration by John Coulthart, perfectly capturing the appeal of the story to come. A great choice for longtime Lovecraftian Horror fans and newcomers alike, yes, but this volume will also lure readers in with the promise of a tale by a beloved author, as they exit having discovered a few new favorites along the way.

*This is always important to point out in these Lovecraft anthos. We want to be clear these are TODAY’S voices.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Cosmic Dread, anthology, madness

Further Appeal: John Coulthart -- illustrations-- the illustrations before each story are a nice touch. They are like an interpretational drawing to summarize the story. Not just the plot but the appelr as well. This is a very nice touch.

This is the second in a dulology. The first was Lovecraft's Monsters which focused on exactly that-- monsters from his mythos. But here, we have 19 previously published stories-- all from the 21st Century-- but names you know well, some a little, a some, not at all. This time, focusing on cosmic fear as Lovecraft defined it and then showcased in his works. 

Datlow's introduction plainly and clearly defines this Lovecraftian brand of fear that leads to madness, all steeped in the realization that the universe is indifferent to humanity and that the human mind cannot comprehend the truths that make the vastness of the universe tick, that to peer behind the veil of our perceived reality will break you-- your mind and body.

These are Cosmic stories. They plant their profound dread into the reader's body. Existential terror grows out from our guts and infects our minds.

Too often "Lovecraftian" stories or anthologies don't explain in plain terms what is going on, what the intention of this work is. There is a bar to entry for novices when it comes to all things "Lovecraftian." It keeps new comers out. This anthology welcomes them in and paired with the first one-- Lovecraft's Monsters it serves as a great introduction to Lovecraft's legacy.

Some of my favorite stories are "The Note" by Paul Tremblay where a couple goes on a walk, the wife reads the note on a neighborhood door, and then the next day disappears. It is told from that point on as the husband (a Tremblay stand in) suffers from not knowing what happened and what the note even said.

Wendy Wagner has a great take on the weird roadside hotel off the interstate trope

But one of the shortest is also my favorite. It is by T Kingfisher entitled "Agent of Chaos." and it is best set up by its perfect first sentence, "It was a blustery day in November when the kitten accidentally ripped open the fabric of reality." Just read it.

Readalikes: Read the first anthology as well and search out work by the people in the top here. Any Datlow anthology is a great readalike. 

There are plenty of titles that capture the spirit of Lovecraft but are by 21st Century writers who are aware of the problems with the man and actively engage with that in their stories. Growing Things by Tremblay, Stories from the Motel Sick by Michael Allen Rose– very much the same vibe. In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired By H. P. Lovecraft by Joe Lansdale as well.

What I'm Reading: June 2026 Library Journal

My June 2026 Horror Review Column is now live on the LJ site and in the current issue of the print magazine! 

In this post I have gathered the titles with my three words and links to my full draft reviews on Goodreads. Click on the titles for readalikes and more appeal information. 

First this month's 3 STARS: 

• The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen [Excruciating discomfort, Artist Descends into Madness, highly original]
• A Plagues Sea by Kim Bo-young, Sophie Bowman (Translator) [Lovecraft retelling, immersive fear, sea soaked horror]
• Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night II edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore Van Alst, Jr. [Indigenous Horror, Range of Scares, Unapologetic]
  

And now the 5 other excellent books I review in this issue:

• Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon [dual time frame, folk horror, terrifying]
• Interview with the author in this issue [link will be added when available online]
• Carry Me To My Grave by Christopher Golden [race against time, family secrets, ancient evil]
  
• Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle [body horror, "occult zombie escapade"(quote from book), love is all you need]
• The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims [Multiple Points of view, Social Commentary, Horror-Mystery]
• The Sunken, The Adored by Donyae Coles [strong sense of place, lush and sensual, chilling]

Pride Month Begins: Why you MUST Participate and Advice to Support LGBTQIA+ Authors All Year Long

This is a repost of an evergreen reminder post as Pride Month Begins.

Pride Month Begins: Why you MUST Participate and Advice to Support LGBTQIA+ Authors All Year Long

Today marks the start of Pride Month and I know, because people have reached out to me about this, that many libraries are either being told NOT to put up Pride displays or they are selecting not to.

I need to unequivocally tell you that this is not okay. No matter what you MUST put up a Pride Display.

We should celebrate all of the identity months at the library...every single one. Why? Well a couple of reasons. First, they give you a chance to highlight a community and allow them to see themselves in your collections. Second, the media in general has picked up on all of this months and they are all over the news even used by corporations in their marketing. By not celebrating any of these identity months, you will stand out for your lack of participation. 

Now, I know some of you are under attack from those who want to stop you from doing Pride in particular, but to that I say, you cannot give in. In fact, June is the easiest time for those of you under attack to highlight LGBTQ items because the entire world is doing it. You are no  different. And if you did anything for other identity months (Black History, AAPPI, etc...) you are simply following that lead. 

This is also why I advocate for drafting Book Display Procedures. Notice I say "procedures." Those do not require your Board to get involved, that is policy. Procedures are created by staff to guide what they are doing and make sure things are standardized. Here is a post where I write about starting with the main goal of your displays being"We will promote and display books that our readers would not find on their own." 

From there you need to add that you will have a featured display for every identity month. And also a final statement that you will make sure your displays are intentionally diverse. Why?  Because this allows you to offer the widest range of titles as possible to your patrons. You can decide if you set a number or percentage to use as a guide, but these three statements need to be in your display policy.

Once you have that in writing, you can use it to audit all displays, remind those who do not comply (ie, put up all white, hetero displays) that they need to fix them, and, most importantly, if they don't comply, write them up for not following established procedures. When you put things in writing, you show all staff that you are serious about this work and you have a way to discipline those who don't follow the rules. As Robin likes to say, "You can't stop people from being racist, but you can make it against the rules." She also like to add, "They probably won't be willing to lose their health insurance over it." But if they are, I say, good riddance.

This procedure will also protect you if you get a challenge to a Pride Display by allowing you to use the  less inflammatory argument, "We have procedures that state that we have a featured display for every identity month." Or if you have a Women's History display up with a trans woman author, you can point to the procedure that says you make sure every display is as diverse as possible so that you can offer the widest range of titles to your patrons. When push comes to shove you can also make the money argument that our collections represent the second largest monetary investment of our library (building/real estate is first) and we owe it to our taxpayers to get the books they would want, if only they knew about them, in their hands.

[These moments are when my two decades as a trustee come in handy.]

These are the basics. But there is so much more you can and should do, but we need to start here. The most important thing you can do to promote all marginalized voices is to make sure you have these titles in every display. In March of 2022, Robin Bradford, myself, and Alene Moroni did an "Actively Anti-Racist Service to Leisure Readers" Preconference at PLA (details here). During her section, Alene gave advice on this that I quote everywhere I go because it is so easy to follow.

To paraphrase Alene, when you move from February to March-- Black History to Women's History months-- you start by simply removing all of the authors that identify as men from the Black History display, leaving all of those who identify as women. Then you add other women to the display. This ensures that your display is diverse before you even started.

Now, taking it back a step, you should have already had LGBTQ authors already in the Black History month display. As we move throughout the year, you keep authors that apply to each month on display. The more you do this, the easier it will be to diversify your displays because they will already be diverse before you switch them up.

But specifically, since LGBTQ authors can be included in every identity month, you should be making sure they are represented always. Having LGBTQ authors on display all of the time will help to give you less inflammatory examples when people challenge anything LGBTQ, any time of year. You can make it clear that all of your displays are always diverse in every way, all of the time and point to LGBTQ authors showing up in every display.

The key take away here is that you CANNOT include marginalized voices ONLY during their identity months. This practice is harmful. When you have, for example, a Fantasy display, you must make sure every identity is represented within that display. It is good practice in that it offers a full range of perspectives of the genre and because doing so will allow you to argue back to those who want to stop you from highlighting anything that isn't white and straight. You can confidently say, we incorporate all voices in every display. Only doing it in an identity month opens you up to being challenged.

Again reminder that general display procedures will not only support you in these challenges but also, will make it standard for all staff to follow them. This will ensure that even staff who do not want to make their displays diverse, have to. This ensures that you don't have some displays that are diverse and some that are clearly not. You need to standardize this practice.

All of this being said, there are still concerted efforts to stop you. Please see my colleague Kelly Jensen's article from earlier last month in Book Riot with detailed instructions on how you can prepare your Library Pride Displays.

You need to do everything I said and what she suggests-- both.

And finally, please go outside the box for titles to put on your Pride displays. Think about ways to frame them to make them more interesting. Identities are not a genre. Just like I advocate against simply putting books by Black authors on display as a monolith in February [rather, you should frame it by genre or a topic], do the same of Pride. Make displays like "Thrills and Chills: Pride" and put up crime, horror, fast paced mysteries. Or, "Love and Pride." You get the idea.

You can also use Pride content from other places  to come up with interesting ideas like this list from LitHub, "10 LGBTQ+ Authors on the Books That Taught Them." This is a great way to have 20 books with an interesting frame for display online or in the building. Your work is done.

Also, here is the link for all of Book Riot's Pride Coverage. They will be posting multiple links every day and framing them in genres or topics like I suggest doing. If you can't think of ideas, don't worry, Book Riot will give them to you in ready to use lists that are also diverse by the identities as well. There is no room for excuses here.

I know this post is long, but the moment we are living in requires that I spend the time to help you fight back. We have collections that represent a world of ideas and identities on purpose. We have crafted those collections as professionals. We got degrees in how to do this. We know what we are doing. And while everyone has a right to decide what they read for themselves, no one has the right to decide for others. We must stand by that basic freedom. You cannot self censor and not participate because you don't want to be challenged or because you are afraid. That is worse than someone coming in and asking you to remove books for all because they don't like them. Why is it worse, because you know better. Because I told you not to.

Get those Pride Displays up, diversify your displays all year long, and get some display procedures in writing. 

And if you have questions or concerns, email me and Robin and I will help you for free. We are especially   good at speaking to  you mangers or admins who don't agree. Let us argue with them for you. 

Using Awards List As a RA Tool: Shirley Jackson Awards Edition

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.  

I am on record, multiple times, saying that the Shirley Jackson Award is my favorite award. If I had to pick only 1 award for fiction, this would be it. And that is saying a lot because I love awards, hence this series.

But why this one? A few reasons,

First, the Shirley Jackson Awards are an excellent RA tool not only for the normal reasons I outline with the links to start this post, but also because they are an award that is NOT bound by genre. The entire point of the books that are nominated for and win this award is that they represent the legacy of Jackson, herself. Books that are darkly speculative and/or are intensely psychological; books that defy conventions but are great.  Each and every year titles are honored that are amazing reads but are almost always overlooked by genre awards, not because they aren't great [because they are], but because when push comes to shove, they do not fit as easily into the genre box as the other options.

Second, because books that win the Shirley Jackson Award already live on the fringes, the jurors and the titles they choose are more diverse than your average award.

Third, this award can be used as a "readalike" list on its own. Why? Because the main thing these nominated titles all share is a connection to Jackson and her brand of storytelling; thus, they all have an appeal connection that other awards can not promise in the same way.

Fourth, the entire concept of the books, being "genreless," means you have a very WIDE audience to handsell these titles to. 

And fifth, this is collection development gold. You want to have the best dark speculative titles, authors, collections, and anthologies for your patrons? Here is an easy purchasing list. And not only is the list diverse in terms of the identity of the writers themselves, but also the range of publishers here is wide. You can learn about some excellent small presses, putting out award worthy material. Just receiving a SJA nomination alone, is a reason to check these new to you publishers out. 

Which reminds me, sixth, the Shirley Jackson Awards not only have annual jurors who rotate every year but they also have a board of directors and an advisory board. You can access all of those people and their bios on this one page. Every single one of those authors is also readlaike option.

Speaking of, a few years ago I was asked to be on the SJA Advisory Board which has been amazing. As a member of the Advisory Board, I am able to nominate titles to be read by the Jury (which changes every year), If I nominate a title it will put into the pool that the jury considers. I take this advisory role very seriously, and every year I see titles I passed on make it to the nominee list.

And of course seventh, the super easy backlist access of nominees and winners going back to 2007, all avaiable with 1 easy click. 

You want a display of weird, unsettling, and compelling titles, look no further than these tales, all of which are singled out for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. Those nominated for this year and all past years. There are so many options you will never run out of a suggestion for your patrons searching out this type of read.

Before I get to this year's nominees, which like all past years are amazing and I have read and reviewed many of them, I want to also shout out the physical prize. Not only do the winners get that very cool sundial award above, but every single nominees gets a stone. If you don't know why, first go read "The Lottery," If you either know why, or don't care about knowing on the of best twists in all of literature ever, click here for an article about the tradition from LitHub.

Now here are this year's Shirley Jackson Award Nominees. All of them are worth your time.

Boston, MA (May 2026) — In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson’s writing, and with permission of the author’s estate, The Shirley Jackson Awards, Inc. has been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. 

The Shirley Jackson Awards are voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics. The awards are given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Fiction, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology. 

The nominees for the 2025 Shirley Jackson Awards are: 

NOVEL

• Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker (Harlequin Trade Publishing / Hanover Square Press)
• How to Fake a Haunting by Christa Carmen (Thomas & Mercer)
• The Lamb by Lucy Rose (HarperCollins Publishers)
• Moonflow by Bitter Karella (Run For It [Orbit, Hachette Book Group])
• Old Soul by Susan Barker (Penguin Random House/G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
• Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix (Berkley, Penguin Random House)

NOVELLA

• The Cold House by A. G. Slatter (Titan Books)
• The Death of Mountains by Jordan Kurella (Lethe Press)
• DuMort by Michelle Tang (Ghost Orchid Press)
• The Glass Garden by Jessica Lévai (Lanternfish Press)
• Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce (Tordotcom Publishing/Tor Publishing Group)

NOVELETTE

• The Confirmed Bachelors by Stephen Volk (Black Shuck Books)
• “Emily” by Vanessa Santos (Make a Home of Me)
• Letter Slot by Owen King (Amazon Original Stories)
• “The Millay Illusion” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny Magazine Issue Sixty-Seven)
• “The Severity of Things” by Mo Moshaty (Clairviolence: Tales of Tarot and Torment) 

SHORT FICTION

• “Bitter Skin” by Kaaron Warren (Night & Day)
• “Lapse” by Kirsty Logan (Unquiet Guests)
• “Mother’s Mother’s Daughter” by Audrey Zhou (Silk and Sinew: A Collection of Folk Horror from the Asian Diaspora)
• “Room 24” by Caroline Kepnes (The End of the World As We Know It)
• “Silver Boots” by Donna Lynch (HOWL: An Anthology of Werewolves from Women-in-Horror)

SINGLE-AUTHOR COLLECTION

• Clairviolence: Tales of Tarot and Torment by Mo Moshaty (Tenebrous Press)
• Good and Evil and Other Stories by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell (Alfred A. Knopf)
• Issues with Authority by Nadia Bulkin (Ghoulish Books)
• Moon Songs: The Selected Stories of Carol Emshwiller by Carol Emshwiller (Third Man Books)
• Portalmania: Stories by Debbie Urbanski (Simon & Schuster)

EDITED ANTHOLOGY

• Night & Day, edited by Ellen Datlow (Saga Press)
• Roots of My Fears, edited by Gemma Amor (Titan Books)
• Silk and Sinew: A Collection of Folk Horror from the Asian Diaspora, edited by Kristy Park Kulski (Bad Hand Books)
• Unquiet Guests, edited by Dan Coxon (Dead Ink Books)
• Were Wolf Short Stories, edited by Gillian Whitaker, Catherine Taylor & Nick Wells (Flame Tree Publishing)

 

The 2025 Shirley Jackson Awards will be presented in-person on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 8pm at Readercon 35, Conference on Imaginative Literature, in Burlington, Massachusetts. Readercon 35 Guests of Honor P. Djèlí Clark and David Gerrold will host the ceremony. 

Shirley Jackson (1916-1965) wrote such classic novels as The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, as well as one of the most famous short stories in the English language, “The Lottery.” Her work continues to be a major influence on writers of every kind of fiction, from the most traditional genre offerings to the most innovative literary work.